So, we are approaching the "Finnish line" of our authentic sauna build. We've followed along with every step of the way of the DIY ebook. We've cured our sauna stove with a good long burn, burning off the factory paint. We've put some finishing touches in place, like attaching our towel hooks and our hot room door hardware. We've checked the calendar and have now invited our friends over for inaugural Friday sauna. We're all set to go, but wait! "gasp! panic!" "I need sauna rocks!!" Well, a quick trip to the shores of Lake Superior is out of the question. And despite the metaphor of a million grains of sand, there's a guilt that comes with dragging a 5 gallon pickle bucket out to the beach shoreline to collect free range organic sauna rocks. What about railroad tracks? There's a fringe line of thinking that "there's asbestos from train brakes in dem der rocks." And then we can get caught up with the idea that if everybody got their sauna rocks from train tracks, would … [Read more...]
7 things you may want to know about your sauna stones
Guest post series continues. Welcome Dick from Scandia, Minnesota. Dick works in Research and Development at the Andersen Corporation (Windows) He has worked in Design, Project Management and Materials Research for 33 years. Enter Dick: 7 things you may want to know about your sauna stones You can collect your own "rocks." "The best choice for sauna rocks are the ones closest to home that are of suitable composition." -Dick Waskey If you are still with me I know you probably have a wood burning sauna. Someone who would wonder about collecting their own sauna rocks would probably burn wood. There is a certain person who cuts wood and dry’s it, carefully splitting and stacking it in preparation for taking sauna- It’s the “Gestalt” Principle, in action! The preparation is just as important as the Sauna and when combined together give us an exhilarating experience. That same person is likely also to search out and find their own “Sauna Stones” enriching … [Read more...]
What you need to know about sauna rocks but didn’t know who to ask.
We at saunatimes get questions about sauna rocks. Until a geologist or thermal heat inspector checks in, we're going to wing a few points for review. Whether a wood burning sauna stove or an electric sauna stove, sauna rocks play an important role. What size sauna rocks? Softball to golf ball. This size range works well. Why? Different size sauna rocks hold heat (thermal mass) differently and release steam (loyly) differently from water being tossed on hot sauna rocks. A nice hot wood burning sauna stove or electric sauna stove will heat your sauna rocks, then as water is tossed on the sauna rocks, the water turns to steam, and that process will temporarily cool your sauna rocks. Softball size sauna rocks hold more heat and will maintain thermal mass better. The golf ball size sauna rocks react quicker to the water, turning it to vapor but at the expense of thermal mass. You want different size sauna rocks. What kind of sauna rocks? Some swear by igneous rocks, or … [Read more...]